Sainkho Namtchylak is one of a kind. You can even hear in her speaking voice that buzz, that resonance that allows her body to make the sounds we in the west generically call throat singing. On her recent album, she teamed up with a Touareg rock ensemble from Mali, Tinawaren.

Vienna recently installed traffic lights that use same-sex couples to signal "walk" and "stop." It's a show of the city's acceptance and welcoming of the LGBT community, but it turns out people also pay better attention to the new lights, even if they're snapping photos.

China's getting serious about smoking — so serious it's banning smoking in schools. And it's imposing new restrictions as well. Meanwhile, in Austria, a former police officer is being compared to Robin Hood after he stole but said he planned to give it to the poor. Plus Denmark and Sweden consider a ban on circumcisions, in today's Global Scan.

If America defaults on its debt this week, it won't be the first economic superpower to do so. Imperial Spain was a chronic defaulter in the 16th and 17th centuries, and this helped lead to its downfall.

In 1963, at the height of the Cold War, a hotline was set up to enable communication between the world's two biggest powers. First established by President Kennedy and Soviet Premier Khrushchev, it provided a vital link between the leaders of two nations.

Anyone who owns a dog knows that each one is a little different, with a distinctive personality. At the Clever Dog Lab at the Veterinary University of Vienna, scientists are trying to figure out where that personality comes from -- and how it can be tapped.

Vienna recently installed traffic lights that use same-sex couples to signal "walk" and "stop." It's a show of the city's acceptance and welcoming of the LGBT community, but it turns out people also pay better attention to the new lights, even if they're snapping photos.

For Filipinos looking for a taste of heir homeland, Jollibee is ubiquitous. With more than 900 locations in the Philippines and a growing number of branches abroad, the fast food chain blends American style fast food with a uniquely Filipino culture.

Today's answer is Markneukirchen, Germany - a town in Saxony, Germany and home to the original founder of the C.F. Martin Guitar Company. This year marks the 175th anniversary of the company. Anchor Marco Werman speaks with Martin's great-great-great-grandson, Chris Martin IV.